New fishing advocacy group has ambitious agenda

NEW BEDFORD — The first board meeting of the fledgling advocacy group calling itself the Center for Sustainable Fisheries on Wednesday elected former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank as chairman and retired UMass marine scientist Dr. Brian Rothschild as its president and CEO.

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By STEVE URBON

southcoasttoday.com

By STEVE URBON

Posted Oct. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By STEVE URBON

Posted Oct. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — The first board meeting of the fledgling advocacy group calling itself the Center for Sustainable Fisheries on Wednesday elected former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank as chairman and retired UMass marine scientist Dr. Brian Rothschild as its president and CEO.

Former Mayor Scott Lang, who has been steering the organization, said that with both of those men retiring, it was the "perfect opportunity" to bring them into a group that wants a "rational plan" for fisheries management.

The group, which hopes to have national reach, has raised $105,000 in three weeks, Lang said. But as it sets out to be a counterweight to environmental groups that have millions of dollars of foundation money at their disposal, fund-raising will be a major issue for the new center.

Fishing interests have clashed often with government regulators in recent years over stock assessments, management plans, and so on.

Frank told the meeting at the Waypoint Event Center that every effort should be made to remind everyone that on one major issue after another, time has proven that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulators have been wrong.

"On equipment, we were right and they were wrong," Frank said. "On the 10-year (stock rebuilding) timeline, we were right and they were wrong. On law enforcement, we were right and they were wrong. On scallops, we were right and they were wrong."

The CSF aims to bring alternative science to fishing regulators to counter the poor government science they believe is driving misguided policy. "We know how to do it politically but now we'll have the science," Frank said.

Lang has also enlisted dozens of lawyers to help out when legal issues arise.

The first matter of business will be the pending reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act that regulates commercial fishing. Part Eight of the legal requirements calls on NOAA to take into account and mitigate the effects on fishing communities and fishermen when policies are made.

NOAA has been sharply criticized for shirking this responsibility, but a ruling in federal court said that the agency is entitled to its own interpretations of the law.

Reauthorizing Magnuson will have that as central concern.

The new group is soliciting members, and plans to conduct meetings up and down the Northeast from New Jersey to Maine.

Rothschild is scheduled to attend a Pacific fisheries conference in Washington State next month.

Lang, who was named secretary, said there will be a number of position papers from the group in the coming months.